ACLU Comment on Government Shutdown

WASHINGTON — After negotiations failed in Congress, the U.S. government will shut down this evening. Lorella Praeli, director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union, said:

“Today’s decision to shut down the government was avoidable. There were bipartisan opportunities on the table that Republican leadership chose to reject. Instead of continuing to fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, pass a permanent solution to protect Dreamers, and keep the government’s doors open, President Trump and his party continue to hold children and young people hostage. We denounce poisoning the atmosphere of compromise through hostile tweets, racist comments, and a fixation on wasteful, harmful border walls.

“Young immigrants’ lives and futures are at stake. We can’t afford to wait any longer. Our current state of affairs reflects the President’s deeply destructive vision fomented by his nativist allies. It’s now up to responsible members of Congress to overcome the dysfunction and deliver a solution. Congress must stand up for Dreamers and a vision of America that embraces young immigrants who love and contribute greatly to their communities.”